Outgoing Cathaoirleach opens countywide community facilities

Cathaoirleach of Cavan County Council, Cllr John Paul Feeley, has officially opened community facilities in County Cavan and surveyed progress on other projects representing an overall investment of over €10.8M in County Cavan.

Cllr Feeley cut the ribbon at the state-of-the-art new gym upgrade at Cavan Leisure Centre, where a grant of €194,432 secured under Community Recognition Fund 2024 funded an extension and renovation of the gym area, along with the purchase of new, top-of-the-range gym equipment.

Also officially opened on the day was the new playground in Ballyhaise, which was delivered with €175,000 in Community Recognition Funding. While in Ballyhaise, the Cathaoirleach stopped by Ballyhaise Amenity area and Craft shop where he surveyed the renovation of the Gate Lodge building and addition of a modular unit, thanks to a Town and Village Renewal Scheme grant of €249,942, supplemented with over €13,000 match funding from Cavan County Council.

The Cathaoirleach also took the opportunity to visit a high-quality new playground development in Seán Lee Drive, Belturbet, in addition to Lough MacNean Amenity Area and Playground, Blacklion. These projects benefitted from investment of €35,699 and €172,203, respectively.

While visiting West Cavan, the Cathaoirleach also took the opportunity to survey progress on the €10M Shannon Pot Discovery Centre project, a nationally significant tourism destination that is being developed thanks to significant funding from Fáilte Ireland and Cavan County Council.

In nearby Glangevlin, Cllr Feeley visited the former post office building, which has been acquired by Cavan County Council with a view to developing a new interpretive centre, to further boost the attractiveness of the Cuilcagh Lakelands UNESCO Global Geopark as a sustainable tourism destination.

Speaking at Shannon Pot Discovery Centre, where construction is well underway, Cllr Feeley said: “I am delighted to have had the opportunity to witness first-hand some of the excellent community infrastructure that is being put in place across the county.

“Our staff in Rural Development and Tourism have leveraged funding from a variety of sources including CLÁR, Town and Village Renewal, the Community Recognition Fund, Fáilte Ireland’s Platforms for Growth, and the Capital Grant Scheme for Play and Recreation to provide high quality facilities, ranging from small but impactful playground upgrades, to game-changing developments on an international scale.

“I am pleased that my fellow elected members and I have been in a position to provide vital match funding for these projects to ensure these transformative initiatives can proceed. That has meant making difficult decisions on occasion, but seeing the quality of the community infrastructure that’s been delivered, there can be no doubt that this money has been well spent. I wish all members of the community many years of enjoyment of these wonderful facilities,” said Cllr Feeley.

Chief Executive of Cavan County Council, Eoin Doyle said: “I’m pleased to showcase the excellent work that has been delivered by our Rural Development and Tourism team, working closely with local communities and with funding agencies. I’d like to thanks Director of Service Brendan Jennings, Senior Executive Officer John Donohoe and their staff, the communities who have helped drive many of these projects, and the elected members, whose ongoing support makes these projects possible.”

* This article was published with support from the Local Democracy Scheme